Erin Fowler

February 24,2002

Citizens' Panel on Policing and the Community
Box 722
410 Bank Street,
Ottawa, ON
K1Y 1Y8

Dear Panel Members;

I am pleased that a Citizens' review into the police actions at the demonstrations over the G20 meetings on November 1 6th and 1 7th, 2001 is being held because I was deeply disturbed by what I witnessed. I am not familiar with all panel members but Marion Dewar has earned my respect as a compassionate visionary leader in this community since I moved to Ottawa nearly twenty years ago. Therefore, I am hopeful that this review may influence positively the police response in future demonstrations.

Since moving to Ottawa I have participated in various public demonstrations. I believe it is one way to express my views on numerous issues. I was opposed to Cruise Missile testing in Canada in the early eighties and, most recently, joined in the Women's March Against Poverty. It is with over twenty years of experience in public protests that I am compelled to speak out about what I saw and felt on November l7th, 2001

As the G20 meetings approached I noticed that I was more cautious about participating in this demonstration. I believe there are various reasons for this. I saw the extreme and inappropriate police action taken against protestors of the Apec Conference. I saw the extreme and inappropriate police action taken at Ipperwash Provincial Park that led to the death of Dudley George in 1995. I learned about and wrote a letter to protest the arrest and strip search of seven women in Guelph in November 1997 for demonstrating against Bill 160. In the last example, the official response of the Guelph Police Services Board was that standard procedure was followed. Ya right! You know and I know that these "actions" are intended to intimidate and it works. Indeed I felt afraid when I thought about joining in this protest, unsure of how the police might react.

I was also concerned about participating in the demonstration because of what others in the protest might choose to do. I am disheartened that those in leadership sanctioned the use of violent methods of protest as well as more powerful strategies. I believe this demonstrates a lack of leadership.

Since I choose not to be diminished by brutality and fear, I decided that I was going to express my concerns related to the G20 meeting, by joining the public demonstration. I prepared myself by researching my legal rights to demonstrate. As usual I brought along my camera, although this time more as a protective measure. And I brought a pen and notepad in case I needed to keep a record of what I saw and heard. Still I was not prepared for what I witnessed on November 17th, 2001.

I joined with other protestors at the University of Ottawa. At the Laurier Bridge we faced a wall of police officers, armed with riot gear; shields, batons, and face guards were the most obvious to me. We believed that the Laurier Bridge was part of the designated, agreed upon route for the demonstration. Whether or not this was the case I am not sure. What I am sure of is that the protestors thought it was part of the route. The change caused us to feel disoriented. The police batted their shields with their riot sticks. This action provoked and incited the crowd. I was shocked, angry and frightened by the action of the police. Fortunately, we did not react to the police but decided instead to find another route. I decided to continue down the alternate route with the other protestors although I was apprehensive and unsure about my safety.

At one point I saw a police officer with his face covered by a black mask. I was shocked by this and thought to myself, "what is he ashamed of doing that he cannot show his face? Is he ‘acting at' being part of a death squad?" It was outrageous! Certainly some protestors had scarves, brightly coloured ones, because they lacked gas masks. The police officers, I doubt, lacked gas masks. I am unfamiliar with guns but the guns carried by the police were enormous. The group of people gathered had song sheets and drums, leaflets and cameras, pens and papers, and children! Then I passed the vans where I could hear the growling and barking of angry police dogs. I was frightened by the threat of extremely brutal violence on the part of the police. I learned later that the violence was not only threatened but used against some protestors.

I had to write to express my concern about the role the police played in attempting to escalate violence on that day. That further violence did not errupt in this overwhelmingly peaceful protest is a testament to the dignity and wisdom of the protestors. Please find attached some photographs taken during the November protest. Thank you for your attention to my letter.

Erin Fowler